Rush Hour
by Mark Gamble
Red cages crammed through the streets
Carrying suited stereotypes
To official offices at which the officiate
Cheery Children chirping in uniformed banter
Monotone motors ripping the air.
Subterranean caskets fly through tunnels
Managerial morons fighting for carriage
Halting and pushing, Ranting and raving
Muted mimes play at their act in silent pretence
Empowered electric's lighting the dark
Iron Horses flashing by houses
Bringing Business back to its heart
Slicing through towns, commuters on its back
Lovers lounging quietly in there own sweet sentiment
Wild whistling waking the day
Little coloured ants crawling the roads
Conveying the family furiously slow
Rolling on cautiously, coughing and spitting
Buskers play their tunes in lonesome laments
A brilliant ballet entertaining the sky.
30 January 2009
People: Life rushing by...
29 January 2009
People: The First Pull-My-Finger Joke
The pull-my-finger joke became so popular that in 1508 Pope Julius II hired Michelangelo to paint it on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
Wow! A bolt of lightning just missed me!
View the Original Size - http://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/3024787175/sizes/o/
Update: This photo was #380 on Flickr's Explore page on November 12, 2008. Woohoo!
creation-of-man_002-1a4
*** I am so not standing near this guy! :) You have to admit he sure is a bold one!
Fine Art: Isaiah 53:4, Painting With Light Art*
* Painting With Light
This painting has been rendered with a unique Painting with Light technique that “paints” the picture using the selected Bible verse text as the paintbrush. You are seeing the verse above painted imperceptibly millions of times repeatedly across the canvas!
The final result is a picture that perhaps God first used to catch your eye, and then used to touch and speak to your heart.
Fine Art: Isaiah 50:10, Painting With Light Art*
Painting With Light
This painting has been rendered with a unique Painting with Light technique that “paints” the picture using the selected Bible verse text as the paintbrush. You are seeing the verse above painted imperceptibly millions of times repeatedly across the canvas!
The final result is a picture that perhaps God first used to catch your eye, and then used to touch and encourage your heart.
28 January 2009
Nature: Being bewilderingly beneficial.
" If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. "
..........Albert Einstein ( 1879 - 1955 ).
.....German - American theoretical physicist.
..........Bees are disappearing at an alarming rate all around the world - due to Colony Collapse Disorder.
.....So whats killing the bees ?
..........It could be pesticides , or genetically modified food, or global warming, and its recently been discovered that bees won't fly near cell phones - the electromagnetic signals they emit knock out the bees navigation system.
.....It is estimated that one third of human food supply depends on insect pollination.
..........No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.
...............Worth thinking about ? .............................. 08.08.08
People: Day 208: Cross words
I first started solving crosswords when I was about 20 years old; I was sitting at home one night and thought, out of the blue, a crossword puzzle sounds like fun, so I went to the store and bought a book of them.
Now, 16 years later, I finish the NY Times puzzle every day. (The NYT puzzle starts at "very easy" on Monday and gets progressively harder through the week. The Saturday puzzles, not Sunday, are the hardest. Sunday puzzles are bigger, but not as hard as Saturday. Saturdays are killers.)
In March of 2005, I went to Stamford, Connecticut and competed in the National Crossword Tournament. I finished 81st out of 455, which I guess means I'm 81st in the nation.
Now I work five or six crosswords a day, on average. If I go on vacation, I take a bunch of them with me, because I get edgy if I go a day or so without one.
Yes, those are all puzzlies I've finished and saved. I have a couple hundred more, if anyone needs some.
(For the 365 Men's Club: Hobbies.)
Nature: Sun Structure
The Sun is at the center of our solar system. Sun's structure consists of from inner to outer elements — core (nuclear fusion), radiative zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Some of the Sun's features are sunspots (photosphere), solar flares, coronal loops, and prominences (chromosphere and corona).
The image is a composite made from three images from SOHO (ESA & NASA). Composite image is by Image Editor.
The image was created for a SciTechLab.com blog post on the Northern Lights.
Nature: soul on a sunbeam
...I pick the prettiest part of the sky and I melt into the wing and then into the air, till I'm just soul on a sunbeam. ~Richard Bach
People: The Artist Soul
"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
- Henry Ward Beecher
Photo by WTL photos @ flickr
27 January 2009
People: My business plan :)
need I say more? funny photographer who sees the humor in our simple lives!
Nature: sunbeam of love
Just like a sunbeam can't separate itself from the sun, and a wave can't separate itself from the ocean, we can't separate ourselves from one another. We are all part of a vast sea of love, one indivisible divine mind.
Marianne Williamson
Nature: Never Judge a Book By Its Cover
Disguise
by Ron Lynch Chalice
Sittin' thinkin' of yesterday
And the look in your eyes
I could see there was something hiding
Underneath your disguise
Many times I have felt your anger
And know the depths of your fears
But a thing I have never, ever seen
Is the color of your tears
What's goin' on, what's goin' on
Underneath your disguise
Lookin' back at how things have been
The past's so easy to see
I look ahead in imagination
At the way things could be
You're throwing up a wall around you
To hide your thoughts from the light
And my desire to penetrate you
Is it wrong or it right
I'm lookin' in ... into the smile
Underneath your disguise
My mind is filled with a million questions
I need to know how you are
Does your mask hide the deepest darkness
Or the light of a star
Sometimes I think I can almost touch you
And get under your skin
Other times I'm pushed back and shielded
From your secrets within
I've got to know, I've got to know
What's underneath your disguise
There was a time when you almost dropped it
This mask that you hide behind
But you caught yourself oh, so quickly
Were you afraid what I'd find
You've got to know you can't hide forever
Behind a face that's not real
Only you can free yourself
From this prison you feel
Or do you even know what's hiding
Underneath your disguise
Things are not what they seem
Is it real or a dream
Is it truth or lies
Underneath your disguise
7 Fast And Easy Tips To Being Organized
7 easy tips to help you get organized fast. The topics covered are the top 7 problems most people have trying to get organized.
By Elle Dixey
A place for everything and everything in its place. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? Then why are so many of us disorganized? Where does all the clutter come from? And what do we do with it? In this article, we will give you 7 easy tips to getting yourself organized.
First, here’s a brief overview of how organization works. Everything in your home or office, even your car, should have a home. A place where any particular item can be kept. Now it makes sense that something you use each day and possibly several times a day should be easily accessible. For example, whether you have a home office or an office out of the home, or both, perhaps you might use paper clips every day. These should be right on your desk, within easy reach. Maybe you only use the stapler once or twice a week. This doesn’t have to be front and center, You don’t mind reaching into a drawer or a cabinet to get the stapler once or twice a week, do you? Now, here’s the beauty of being organized. You get to choose. Do you mind reaching into the drawer for the stapler. Then let’s put it right out there within your reach. Suppose it’s kept on the right hand side of your desk. That’s the place you have designated for your stapler. But, you pick it up, use it, and put it down absentmindedly on the left side of your desk.
Now multiply this behavior by 20 or 30 times a day. You pick something up from where it is always kept, and set it down somewhere else. If you do this with 20 or 30 items every day in your office, what do you have when it’s quitting time? That’s right. A disorganized mess on your desk, However, don’t despair, there’s just one rule you have to follow. All you have to do is make an effort to put things back where they belong. Put that stapler back on the right side of your desk! This rule applies to just about everything, whether you are at home, in your office or in your car. As we said before, it sounds easy, and it is; once you get used to doing it. Go ahead, try it and watch what happens. The 7 tips below will get you started.
1. Paper Clutter - This might be the number one organizational problem people complain about, so if it’s yours, you are definitely not alone. As you probably know, the mail can pile up very fast. Sort your mail as soon as you get it. Send the junk mail to a shredder, recycling or the trash basket, unopened, right away. Separate your bills and personal mail. If don’t you have a place for these categories, get two baskets, two folders or two of any type of storage container. Put bills in one and personal mail in the other, But you knew that already, didn’t you?
2. Plan Ahead - It’s very easy to feel disorganized when you are rushed. If you have a lot to do in the morning, try to get a jump on things the night before, even if it just making a list of what you have to do, in the order they need to get done. Decide what you are going to wear the next day and set it out, so there’s one less thing to think about the next morning. If you drink coffee, get that ready the night before. Don’t worry if you don’t have a coffee pot with a timer. Just measure the coffee into the filter, fill the reservoir with water and you’ll be all set. Coffee doesn’t take that long to brew. When you get up the next day, pop into the kitchen and push the brew button on the coffee maker. It will be done before you know it.
3. Keep All The Same Things Together - How many times have you gone through the house looking for stamps, an envelope and a pen, just to send something off in the mail? When we say keep all the same things together, this is a good example. You know you will need at least these three items if you want to mail something. So why not keep them all together? Get a nice basket or any other container you like and store anything that has to do with sending mail in it. This could include different size envelopes, paper, note cards or whatever. Do you print out emails, then lose them? Make a folder for all emails you have printed. In your kitchen, keep all your measuring supplies together in a drawer or a cabinet. Measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, large spoons and your mixer. Paying bills? You already know where your stamps, pen and envelopes are. Make a bill-paying folder just for bills to pay. You will be surprised how many things you can group together once you start thinking about it.
4. Save Time By Multi-tasking - Do you have to go to the Dentist’s office? Take a book you’ve been wanting to read and haven’t had time to do. Walking your dog? Make an effort to take him or her out more often and go for a brisk walk each time. Jog or run if you can. You will be getting some exercise and so will your dog. What’s more fun, walking or running with your dog or mindlessly pacing on a treadmill? Paying bills but want to watch your favorite TV show? Gather up all your bill paying needs and settle down in your living room; watch TV and pay your bills at the same time. Trying to learn a new language? Get the lessons on CD and play them when you are driving.
5. Plan Your Meals For the Week - You can’t imagine how beneficial this is. Knowing exactly what you are going to make for dinner each night will definitely ease stress. Make a list of each meal and post it on your fridge. It will also save you money when you go to the market. With your list of meals in front of you, it is a lot easier to only buy what you need.
6. Put Things Away - It only takes a minute or two to put things away. But how many of us come in the house and toss our jackets on the back of a chair, rather than hanging it up in the closet or even on a coat hook? Enlist the other members of your family to put their things away when they are finished using them. If all else fails, make a set time for everyone to go through the house once a day, pick up their things and put them away. Allot 10 or 15 minutes for this activity. Once this activity interrupts other things your family would rather be doing, you may find they are a lot better at putting things where they belong right away.
7. Add Space To Your Home - Add some shelves to a closet that is a catch-all. You will be able to store a lot more in there with shelves and everything will be easier to find. Buy modular cubes that can be stacked on top of, and next to each other. Many of these can be purchased with storage baskets that fit right into the openings, giving even more versatility. Do you have an half-empty bureau or chest of drawers? Store little used items in those drawers.
Now that you know how easy it really is to get yourself organized, come on over to our site http://www.thebeautifulhome.net to get our Free Report - 50 Ways To Get Organized and more organizational and time-saving tips and also decorating ideas. When you get there click on "Organization" See You There!
Photo by marklarson @ flickr
26 January 2009
Animal and People: The short and the tall of it all
At my first visit to a horse show competition there were these two standing alone outside the show ring relaxing.
The difference in heights seemed comical and the elderly gentleman was subdued and quietly thrilled to be photographed, posing carefully.
Lucky me I just happened to be walking by to get this once in a lifetime shot!
People: Shelby, a friends daughter
From my portrait phase:
On a fall picnic with her family and us, Shelby was busy showing off her athletic ability - walking on logs over the stream. She's all grown up now and out of college.
Sky: Finished work
hello vincent van gogh!
***************
The Pannonian Plain is a large plain in Central Europe that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried out. It is a geomorphological subsystem of the Alps-Himalaya system.
The river Danube divides the plain roughly in half.
The plain is divided among Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The plain is roughly bounded by the Carpathian mountains, the Alps, the Dinaric Alps and the Balkan mountains.
Although rain is not plentiful, it usually falls when necessary and the plain is a major agricultural area; it is sometimes said that these fields of rich loamy loess soil could feed the whole of Europe. For its early settlers, the plain offered few sources of metals or stone. Thus when archaeologists come upon objects of obsidian or chert, copper or gold, they have almost unparalleled opportunities to interpret ancient pathways of trade.
The precursor to the present plain was a shallow sea that reached its greatest extent during the Pliocene, when three to four kilometres of sediments were deposited.
The plain was named after the Pannonians, a northern Illyrian tribe. Various different peoples inhabited the plain during its history. In the first century BC, the eastern parts of the plain belonged to the Dacian state, and in the first century AD its western parts were subsumed into the Roman Empire. The Roman province named Pannonia was established in the area, and the city of Sirmium, today Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, became one of the four capital cities of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panonian_plain
Uploaded by Katarina 2353 (spending less time on flickr) on 16 Jul 08, 9.39AM CST.
US Airways Flight 1549 Plane Crash Hudson in New York taken by Janis Krums on an iPhone
US Airways Flight 1549 Plane Crash Hudson in New York taken by Janis Krums on an iPhone, originally uploaded by davidwatts1978.
This was an awesome news story that turned to a good ending for all - some fantastic flying from a former Vietnam pilot as captain, executing a one in a million maneuver onto the water!
**************
'Miracle on the Hudson' picture taken by Janis Krums
Video footage here, 2 mins in davidwatts1978.tumblr.com/post/71175777/us-airways-flight...
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid tribute to the pilot of Flight 1549.
He said: "It woud appear the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and making sure everyone got out." The pilot "walked the plane twice" to ensure all passengers had got out before leaving the plane himself.
Mayor Bloomberg said the NTSB would be investigating the cause of the accident and would be arriving in New York this evening.
At the same press conference, New York Governor David Paterson also paid tribute to the US Airways pilot and called the rescue a "miracle on the Hudson".
In a live interview with a rescued passenger identified as Alberto Panero, CNN's Wolf Blitzer reported that all passengers are safe and that the emergency exit was smoothly handled by US Airways staff.
When asked about his feelings immediately after the rescue Alberto Panero replied, "It was a near death experience (that) thankfully did not turn that way." Passengers are crediting pilots and crew with averting a potential tragedy.
TV pictures showed passengers standing on the wings of the plane in the frigid waters. Ferries surrounded the plane, an Airbus A320.
Flight 1549 information
For updates on Flight 1549 try the US Airways hot line 1-800-679-8215 Doug Parker, US Airways CEO, is asking that only family and loved ones of passengers use this number.
Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, was at maximum capacity of 150 seats when it went down, and the total number on board including pilots and crew was 155. As many as 71 people are believed to have been treated for minor injuries at nearby hospitals, including four reported cases of hypothermia.New Jersey Police report that the airliner's pilot signalled a mayday following the bird strike and then was able to fly the plane to the Hudson River and ditched the aircraft. The plane went down near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown says the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport enroute to Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
Brown says the plane, an Airbus 320, may have been hit by birds.
The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows. Rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats surrounded the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking.
Janis Krums from Sarasota, Florida posts the first photo of U.S. Airways flight 1549 on Twitter from his iPhone. Thirty-four minutes after Janis posted his photo, MSNBC interviewed him live on TV as a witness). twitpic.com/135xa
more pics here
my.nowpublic.com/world/us-airways-flight-1549-comes-down-...
Uploaded by davidwatts1978 on 15 Jan 09, 4.12PM CST.
20 Quick Street Photography Tips
20 Quick Street Photography Tips - Listed here are some great reminders and good habits to get into when you are shooting photos in a city situation and just plain people watching!
By mohsinfancy
Photo by bensonkua @ flickr
Mind Inspiration: dancing thought bubbles
You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. - James Allen
alicepopkorn is a photographer from Germany over at flickr and her images are often mystical and inspirational! she is definitely one of my all time consistent favorites on flickr!
25 January 2009
Louisiana Culture: Love of Eggplant Recipes
Louisiana Culture: Love of Eggplant Recipes - Fun article about Louisiana food culture. 3 eggplant recipes and 4 cooking videos to get you cooking this tasty vegetable!
By Denny Lyon
5 flickr photographers featured in this article.
Photo of Japanese styled Eggplant Salad by yomi955 @ flickr, link included to photographer's page for ingredients.
24 January 2009
22 January 2009
Sky: moon time ~
This photographer always does some mind blowing images, some sweet, some dark but always deeply thoughtful and wonderfully interesting!
Water: You Who Never Arrived
You Who Never Arrived
You who never arrived
in my arms,
Beloved, who were lost
from the start,
I don't even know what songs
would please you.
I have given up trying
to recognize you in the surging wave of the next
moment.
All the immense
images in me-- the far-off, deeply-felt landscape,
cities, towers, and bridges, and unsuspected
turns in the path,
and those powerful lands that were once
pulsing with the life of the gods-
all rise within me to mean
you, who forever elude me.
...
By Rainer Maria Rilke
21 January 2009
20 January 2009
Obama is now the 44th President!
Just finished watching Obama's speech and other news coverage - what an historic time, what emotion for millions around the world. There must be millions of people crowded together on the Washington Mall. It reminds me of when the Pope in Rome, Italy celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square and a million strong gather.
Interesting is that the ceremony ran a little long and by so doing Obama became the 44th President exactly at noon BEFORE he took the oath of office four minutes later. How many of you knew that bit of trivia?
Congrats Mr. President! May you be successful in all endeavors.
Denny
A new day is here!
Photo by stephentrepreneur @ flickr
Prayer for Obama
Prayer for Obama - Here is a wonderful heartfelt prayer all the way from Indonesia two hours before the ceremony for Obama as the first African-American to be sworn in as President! The whole world is watching...
A new day is dawning!
Photo by muha... @ flickr
19 January 2009
Sky: Foster City Double Rainbow
a double rainbow, now how rare is that or what!? stitched from 4 frames.
Water: Moon Rainbow
I'm a real sucker for waterfalls so expect to see quite a few on this photo blog! :) You can almost hear the waves crashing...
18 January 2009
Poem: Dreaming Words
Poem: Dreaming Words - Creativity warrior angel as muse inspired this essay and following poem. Author describes writing process.
Poem and pastel drawing by Denny Lyon - simplistic drawing easy to see on small monitors!
17 January 2009
Dennys Valentines Day Chocolate Crepes with Sweet Ricotta Cheese
Dennys Valentines Day Chocolate Crepes with Sweet Ricotta Cheese - a couple of crepe videos are below this post, enjoy!
Water: Cape Cod Winter
Snow in the row boat - now that's a frigid ride out onto the waves! beautiful!
